Magic MirrorMickey Friedman (Viking 0-670-82132-2, 1988 [Sep 88], $16.95, 247pp, hc) [Georgia Lee Maxwell] Mystery novel with occult elements. Murder, theft, and other mayhem in Paris, centering around the mirror of Nostradamus, which grants visions of the future. The emphasis is on character and suspense, but this is an excellent book. (FCM)

Dont Panic: The Official Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy CompanionNeil Gaiman (Pocket 0-671-66426-3, May 88 [Apr 88], $7.95, 182pp, tp) [Hitchhiker] Non-fiction book on the series and novels. First U.S. edition (Titan 1988). [Douglas Adams]

Tales from the Darkside, Volume I ed. Mitchell Galin & Tom Allen (Berkley 0-425-11095-8, Oct 88 [Sep 88], $3.50, 248pp, pb) Horror anthology of 16 stories that appeared on the tv show. Five are original stories written by Michael McDowell based on teleplays.

1 · The Devils Advocate · Michael McDowell · sa *; based on a teleplay by George A. Romero.

CrucifaxRay Garton (Pocket 0-671-62629-9, Jun 88, $3.95, 387pp, pb) Horror novel of evil in the San Fernando Valley: A cult of blood and lust. A small town gone mad. A horrible obsession.... There is a more gruesome limited edition hardcover, Crucifax Autumn, from Dark Harvest.

The Warriors of SpiderW. Michael Gear (DAW 0-88677-287-7, Aug 88 [Jul 88], $3.95, 367pp, pb) [Warriors of Spider] Sf novel about an interstellar empire vs. a lost colony that developed precognition; first of a trilogy. Probably a first novel.

The Way of the SpiderW. Michael Gear (DAW 0-88677-318-0, Jan 89 [Dec 88], $3.95, 408pp, pb) [Warriors of Spider] Science fiction novel. A high-tech interstellar empire uses low-tech barbarians with special powers as its soldiers. Book Two of a proposed trilogy.